An example scenario of avoidance is a student who fears public speaking (glossophobia) who repeatedly skips class presentations, procrastinates on assignments that require speaking, or even drops classes with required speeches to avoid the anxiety and potential embarrassment of speaking in front of others, even though this hinders their learning and grades.
Some examples include: Avoid seeing certain friends or family members. Avoid doing particular activities such as swimming or exercising. Avoid certain places like going out with friends, the beach, music festivals or the gym.
An avoidance-avoidance conflict arises when a person must choose between two negative outcomes. The person is caught between the proverbial "rock" and "hard place." A simple example involves a child who must choose between two equally unpleasant household chores: washing the dishes or taking out the trash.
"avoid" Example Sentences
I'm trying to avoid fatty foods because I just started a new diet. Nurses wear gloves to avoid physical contact with their patients. I've been trying to avoid looking at screens before I go to bed.
Examples of Avoidance Behavior
Some people might turn to substance misuse, daydreaming, or suppressing their feelings to avoid facing a difficult situation or emotion. While these behaviors might offer short-term relief, they often make the problem worse over time by preventing progress toward a solution.
We broke down the five types of avoidance behavior: situational, cognitive, protective, somatic, and substitution avoidance.
Experiencing extreme anxiety (nervousness) and fear in social settings and relationships. This may lead them to avoid activities or jobs that involve being with others. Being shy and self-conscious in social situations due to a fear of doing something wrong or feeling embarrassed.
Experiential avoidance refers to a phenomenon in which individuals exhibit an unwillingness to engage with certain personal experiences, including physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, memories, and behavioral tendencies. They employ cognition and emotions to avoid these experiences.
Simple sentences in the Present Simple Tense
7 signs a friend is secretly trying to avoid you, according to...
I'm going to teach you a shortcut rule to determine whether you might be using behaviors or other coping strategies as avoidance: If the purpose of your act or behavior is to avoid feeling an emotion that might be painful or difficult to feel, then the behavior is likely avoidance.
Here are the top signs your partner might be conflict-avoidant: They shut down or walk away when a disagreement starts. They rarely express their needs or emotions—you're often left guessing. They laugh off serious conversations, masking discomfort with humor.
Definitions of avoidance. noun. the act of deliberately avoiding; keeping away from or preventing from happening. synonyms: dodging, shunning, turning away.
What hurts an avoidant most isn't distance but rather the loss of their perceived self-sufficiency, being forced to confront their own emotional deficits, and the shattering of their self-image when someone they pushed away shows they are genuinely happy and better off without them, revealing their actions had real, painful consequences. Actions that trigger deep insecurity, like consistent, calm detachment or proving you don't need them, dismantle their defenses, forcing them to face their own inability to connect and the pain they caused, which is often worse than direct conflict.
When avoidants are triggered, they typically shut down emotionally, withdraw, become defensive, or distract themselves to regain a sense of safety and avoid feeling overwhelmed or trapped by emotional intimacy, often appearing indifferent or cold, though it stems from a deep-seated need for independence and fear of vulnerability. They might focus intensely on controllable things like work, sulk instead of communicating needs, or even preemptively end the relationship (avoidant discard) to manage intense feelings.
How to Increase Intimacy and Communication with an Avoidant Partner: 21 Ways
10 Simple Sentences Examples
1 Divide the clauses into two sentences
Often in writing, the best way to fix a run-on sentence is to split it into two or more separate sentences. Be sure to capitalize the first letter of each sentence and use a period, question mark, or exclamation point between them.
The 5 Basic Sentence Patterns in English
Avoidance is a part of everyday life for many. Here are some common examples: Making excuses to miss a party where you won't know many people. Repeatedly canceling a dentist appointment due to a fear of the procedure.
What Are the 5 Types of Avoidance Behavior?
Avoidance is usually seen as a maladaptive response to feared things or situations. For example, if you're scared of elevators, you'll probably go out of your way to find the stairs. Avoiding things can create barriers and worsen people's anxiety of what they fear.
Avoidant attachers are technically more compatible with certain attachment styles over others. For example, a secure attacher's positive outlook on themselves and others means they are capable of meeting the needs of an avoidant attacher without necessarily compromising their own.
Avoidant Personality Disorder Causes and Risk Factors
Having another mental health condition like depression or anxiety. A family history of depression, anxiety, or personality disorders. Childhood abuse, trauma, or neglect. Trauma including suffering an extreme incident of ridicule or rejection in childhood.
Boundaries are clear, communicated limits that protect your well-being. Avoidance may provide temporary relief but doesn't address underlying issues or promote healthy relationships. Doesn't allow people to grow and experience intimacy or closeness.